Photo/Illutration Daily visitors to the Hinaigawa river on Iriomotejima island, famous for the Pinaisara Falls, will be restricted. (Minako Yoshimoto)

Tourists will be restricted at some sightseeing spots on Iriomotejima island, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to better preserve the natural environment. 

The Environment Ministry announced on Dec. 6 that it had approved a proposal from the Taketomi municipal government in Okinawa Prefecture for the tourist restrictions. Iriomotejima island is part of the town of Taketomi.

An official of the ministry’s division responsible for promoting the use of national parks says the plan aims “not only to protect the primitive nature on the island, but also to relieve congestion there to enable tourists to have a higher-quality experience.”

When the island was listed as a World Heritage site in July last year, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee requested measures to further protect nature on the island.

Four ministries, including the Environment Ministry, approved the comprehensive plan for eco-tourism promotion on Iriomotejima island.

The plan divides the island into three zones.

Under the plan, most of the area on the island that was designated as a World Heritage site will be called the Conservation Zone.

Generally, tourists will not be allowed to enter that zone.

The Nature Experience Zone includes rivers or roads in the area designated as a World Heritage site and the sea outside the area.

Tourists will be allowed to enter the zone, but they will be required to observe certain rules.

Five sightseeing spots in the Nature Experience Zone will be deemed nature tourism resources, for which a daily tourist entry cap will be introduced.

Other areas of the island, with places such as pineapple farms or restaurants, will be called the General Use Zone, where there will be no special rules for entrance.

One of the designated nature tourism resources is the Hinaigawa river, where up to 200 tourists will be allowed per day.

The Pinaisara Falls, a waterfall popular with tourists in recent years, is part of the Hinaigawa river.

Daily visitors to the river topped 200 on some days during the Golden Week holiday season and in the summer in fiscal 2019, sometimes even reaching more than 300 on the peak days.

Other designated nature tourism resources will also have daily entrance caps, such as the Nishidagawa river with 100, Mount Komidake, 30, the headwaters area of the Urauchigawa river, 50, and Mount Tedo, 30.

Tourists who want to visit designated nature tourism resources will also have to gain approval from the Taketomi mayor.

They also must be accompanied by people who meet certain requirements, such as being a tour guide, on their visit.

Another example of a World Heritage site that has set a daily entrance cap is the Ogasawara island chain, south of Tokyo.

The Tokyo metropolitan government and other authorities have restricted the number of daily visitors to Minamijima island of the island chain to 100.

Related News